King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “sketching”

Romaji: shasei
sketching; drawing from nature; portrayal; description

In Japanese, sketching is , read (shasei).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

  1. n, vs, vt sketching; drawing from nature; portrayal; description

Kanji and stroke order

copy, be photographed, describe
on: シャ、ジャ
kun: うつ.す、うつ.る、うつ-、うつ.し
5 strokes · JLPT 3
life, genuine, birth
on: セイ、ショウ
kun: い.きる、い.かす、い.ける、う.まれる
5 strokes · JLPT 4

Other Japanese words for “sketching”

WordReadingMeaning
スケッチ suketchisketch; sketching
てんびょう tenbyousketching
ずどり zudorisketching; drawing a plan; sketch
おえかき oekakidoodling; sketching

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
しゃしん shashinphotograph; photo; picture
びょうしゃ byoushadepiction; description; portrayal
うつる utsuruto be photographed; to be projected
ひしゃたい hishatai(photographic) subject
じっしゃ jisshalive action (as opposed to animation)
うつす utsusuto copy; to duplicate; to reproduce
せいかつ seikatsulife; living
せんせい senseiteacher; instructor; master

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Selecting a Bokken for Outdoor Training
  2. Are Unvarnished Bokken Better for Grip Than Lacquered Ones
  3. Best Wooden Butterfly Knives for Wing Chun Form Practice
  4. Choosing a Bokken Set for Training Quality and Durability
  5. Best Lightweight Bokken for Older Students and Senior Aikido
  6. Choosing a Bokken for Koryu Practice by School Requirements
  7. Choosing a Bokken Tsuba and Stopper Set for Training
  8. Cotton vs Polyester Hakama Which Is Easier to Maintain
  9. Choosing Your First Bokken for Serious Samurai Training
  10. Are Engraved Bokken Good Gifts and Can You Train With Them